24 MiMfg Magazine September 2020
@
MFG
What’s Happening
Work
in Michigan
Manufacturing
Governor Whitmer and
Ford Announce MI
Mask Aid Partnership
Ford Motor Company, an
MMA member company since
January 1965, joined with
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)
on 8/14/20 to announce a new
partnership to provide four
million free masks to the state’s
most vulnerable.
The program, MI Mask
Aid, is part of the state’s Mask
Up Michigan campaign.
“Michigan needs to continue
to ‘mask up’ to protect us all from
COVID-19,” Governor Whitmer
said. “Vulnerable populations may
have difficulties buying masks and
our schools need face coverings to
keep students, staff and community
members safe. I am thrilled that
the Michigan Department of
Health and Human Services
(MDHHS), Ford and FEMA are
working together to help control
the spread of the coronavirus.”
The free masks include 1.5
million from FEMA that the
state has already sent to local
organizations, an additional 1
million FEMA face coverings and
1.5 million masks from Ford.
“Manufacturing is the backbone
of America and from World
War II to fighting COVID-19,
Ford has a rich history of stepping
up in times of crisis to help Michigan
and our country,” said Ford Motor
Company president and CEO Jim
Hackett. “And today we continue
in our efforts, with the State of
Michigan and in coordination with
the Task Force on Racial Disparities,
by donating face masks to serve
photo credit: Office of the Governor of the State of Michigan
communities especially vulnerable
to COVID-19. We also will
continue to look for ways to address
urgent needs of our communities by
leveraging our partnerships through
the Ford Motor Company Fund.”
The project is in partnership
with the Governor’s Michigan
Coronavirus Task Force on Racial
Disparities, chaired by Lieutenant
Governor Garlin Gilchrist II.
“I’m thankful for our partners
at Ford, FEMA and the Michigan
Department of Health and Human
Services for coming together in a big
way to ensure that our communities,
particularly those hardest hit, have
what they need to get through these
tough times,” said Lt. Governor
Gilchrist. “By delivering four million
masks at no cost to Michiganders,
we can provide a proven, lifesaving
device to countless residents as
they go back to work, school, and
define new ways of living during
this pandemic.”
To find a distribution location,
call the COVID-19 Hotline at
888-535-6136 or look up your local
Community Action Agency at
mcac.memberclicks.net.
Ford CEO Jim Hackett joined with Governor Gretchen Whitmer
to announce MI Mask Aid, a public-private partnership donating
4.5 million masks to Michigan’s most vulnerable populations.
Lear Partners to Pursue
New Intelligent Tech
Lear Corporation, a global
automotive technology leader in
seating and MMA member since
2010, announced a collaboration
with global thermal technology
innovator Gentherm to develop
the INTU™ Thermal Comfort
with ClimateSense™ seating
system. The system aims to create
an ideal personal climate through
its intelligent software, using
ambient cabin conditions to
provide optimized comfort.
“Today’s consumers are looking
to personalize their in-vehicle
experience with smart, predictive
options that are highly efficient,
and we see the seat as the next
frontier,” said John Absmeier,
Lear’s Chief Technology Officer.
Unlike the traditional HVAC
system, the innovation uses
intelligent zonal thermal management
to create personalized
comfort, improving overall vehicle
efficiency while drawing on Lear’s
existing expertise to provide
advanced solutions for comfort,
wellness, safety and sound.